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OVER-THINKING THIS WHOLE THING?

Posted in Airline flights to Mexico, airlines, aquaculture, bahia de los muertos, bahia de los suenos, Baja, Baja Fishing, Baja fishing lures, Baja Life, Baja Mexico Fishing, Baja Rockfish, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, camping, car, CBX Express bridge, cerralvo, cerralvo island, charity, charters, christmas, chubasco, circle hooks, Coronavirus Baja Mexico, crankbait, deep sea, Dehydration, donations, dorado, driving, east cape, ecotourism, el nino, el sargento, espirito santo, family, farm-raised, first aid, fish, fish farming, fish pens, Fishing, fishing blogs, fishing hooks, Fishing lures, fishing packages, fishing reports, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, Fishing techniques, fishing tips, fishing tournaments, fishing trips, fishing videos, flyfishing, freediving, giant squid, green, Heat stroke, highway, historical, history, holidays in mexico, humboldt squid, hurricane, hurricanes, ice chests, inshore fishing, inshore fishing in Baja Mexico, jack crevalle, Jonathan Roldan, kids, kids fishing, La Paz, La Paz Fishing, la ventana, las arenas, Leisure, light tackle, Living in Mexico, los barriles, luggage, marlin, Mexican, Mexican business, Mexican church cathedral, Mexican culture, mexican food, mexican food stands, Mexican Independence Day, mexican road crosses, Mexico, Mexico Christmas, Mexico coronavirus Baja, Mexico economy, Mexico life, Mexico neighborhood, midriff islands, missions, outfitters, pack for a purpose, packages, packing, packing fish, panga, Panga Fishing, pargo, passport, planning, pompano, rental car, rentals, road trip, roosterfish, Salt Water Fishing, Salt water lures, San Jose del Cabo, saving money, Sea of Cortez, seafood, sierra, speaking spanish, spearfishing, sportfishing, squid fishing, storm, storms, suitcases, Sun stroke, sustainable, taco, taco stand, Tailhunter International, techniques, tiburon island, tourism, tours, transpeninsular highway, Travel, trolling tips, tuna, Tuna jackpot, tuna tournament, Uncategorized, vacations, vehicle, wahoo, water, waterspouts, weather, women fishing, yellowtail, tagged amberjack, bahia, Baja Mexico, beaches, billfish, bonito, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, Cerralvo Island, charter, coronavirus in Mexico, deep sea, diving, dog-tooth, dorado, east cape, eco tours, espirito santo island, family, fish, Fishing, fishing report, Fishing Techniques, fishing tips, fishing video, fly fishing, fly fishing. Spearfishing, Fubar Cocina Cantina, gray whales, grey whales, guide, holiday, igfa, inshore, jack crevalle, jill roldan, Jonathan Roldan, kids, La Paz, las arenas, light tackle, live bait, los barriles, marlin, mexican, mexico, muertos bay, offshore, outfitter, package, panga, pargo, pompano, rooster fish, sailfish, scuba, sea lions, sea of cortez, seabass, sierra, snorkeling, sportfishing, suenos bay, swimming, tailhunter restaurant, Tailhunter Sea Level, tuna, vacation, wahoo, whale sharks, whale watching, women, world records, yellowtail on July 19, 2024| 1 Comment »

You built it and they’re coming!

OVER-THINKING THIS WHOLE THING?

Originally Published the Week of July 19, 2024 in Western Outdoor Publications

When I was an attorney, we had a saying, “Everyone tells their story in their own self-interest.”

That’s not to say folks lie. Some do. Some don’t.

Some just embellish or elaborate on the truth. Not quite “fibbing” but everyone slants their story in their own favor.

Human nature.

So, this time, I’m gonna buck the inclination.

What I write is probably NOT in my own self-interest, but maybe in a convoluted way, it is.

It’s just another side…another angle, if you will on some developments down here.

It’s about fixing things that aren’t broken.

We’ve lived and worked down here in La Paz some 30 years. The changes and developments that keep rolling in are exponential.

Construction everywhere. I guess that’s part of being a destination city.

If you leave anywhere near a place where folks come to vacation or where they are re-locating…the coast…the mountains…a river…a lake…

You know what I’m talking about!

There’s really not much to do about it either, but here’s my take from another angle.

Here in La Paz, they stopped direct airline flights from the U.S. about a dozen years ago. We just weren’t “touristy” enough.

You had to fly from the U.S. to Cabo and shuttle or drive up 3 hours the 100 miles to La Paz.

Or you took a convoluted series of connection flights that got you here.

Or you could catch a direct flight from Tijuana.

I’ll admit. Not the most convenient. Actually, kind of a pain in the B..TT, for most of us. Not just the extra time, but the cost as well.

But, I like being “non-touristy!”

The world is full of Cozumels, Cancuns, Puerta Vallartas and Cabo San Lucases. Nothing wrong with that. Fun spots and they certainly have their place.

To each their own.

But the world is quickly losing the alternative non-touristy spots.

Like La Paz…family-oriented…relatively quiet…you can walk the historic streets…no one chases you down the street to sell you t-shirts, timeshares or jewelry.

But, the word is out. And people are flocking. I get it.

Every magazine article…every youtube video…”La Paz is the Next Hidden Spot!”

Come find it!

Right…

So, for the first time in more than a decade, there will be 2-5 flights a week from Los Angeles here.

Sigh and a big whoopie.

As a business, sure, this will be great. Make is easier for people to find us and get to us. More clients. More business.

But that’s the problem as well.

There should still be places on this planet that are little harder to find. There should still be places that are a little harder to get to.

That’s the charm and attraction. The “road less traveled” is not as easy to find as our planet gets more crowded and people go wandering around the face of the Earth.

I’ve seen it. You have seen it. I’ve visited places around the world as well. I’ll admit my own mind starts fantasizing…

Man, it would be great to buy some land here. Or buy or build a house here. Or live here!

Same thing down here. The land boom is already on. The construction crush is here.

The powers-that-be with more wisdom than I possess took one of the local beaches…one of the prettiest in Mexico if not the world…and decided to put bathrooms out there. And shady palapas and trash cans.

Let’s fix what wasn’t broken!

Well, what was once a beach you would find in Conde Nas and National Geographic is now so covered with beachgoers and vendors selling churros and t-shirts that the they have a quota now on how many folks can be there at one time.

You have a time limit as well as to how long you can stay. There’s a waiting line to get in. And don’t get me started on the trash!

To another beach, they turned a little two-lane Mexican road into a super highway. Same thing happened. They built it and yes…they came…in droves.

I know there’s no stopping this. But, I do lament the progress of not leaving well-enough alone and remember what it used to be like.

These ARE the good-old days.

That’s my story!

Jonathan

______________

Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004. Along with his wife and fishing buddy, Jilly, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico www.tailhunter.com.

They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront. If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is: jonathan@tailhunter.com

Or drop by the restaurant to say hi. It’s right on the La Paz waterfront!

_____________

Jonathan Roldan’s

Tailhunter International

Website:

www.tailhunter-international.com

Mexico Office: Tailhunter International, 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico

U.S. Mailing Address: Tailhunter International, 8030 La Mesa Blvd. #178, La Mesa CA 91942

Phones:

from USA : 626-638-3383

from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863

Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report: http://fishreport.jonathanroldan.com/

Tailhunter YouTube Video Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBLvdHL_p4-OAu3HfiVzW0g

“When your life finally flashes before your eyes, you will have only moments to regret all the things in life you never had the courage to try.”

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A DIFFERENT EERIE LONELY

Posted in Airline flights to Mexico, airlines, aquaculture, bahia de los muertos, bahia de los suenos, Baja, Baja Fishing, Baja fishing lures, Baja Life, Baja Mexico Fishing, Baja Rockfish, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, camping, car, CBX Express bridge, cerralvo, cerralvo island, charity, charters, christmas, chubasco, circle hooks, Coronavirus Baja Mexico, crankbait, deep sea, Dehydration, donations, dorado, driving, east cape, ecotourism, el nino, el sargento, espirito santo, family, farm-raised, first aid, fish, fish farming, fish pens, Fishing, fishing blogs, fishing hooks, Fishing lures, fishing packages, fishing reports, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, Fishing techniques, fishing tips, fishing tournaments, fishing trips, fishing videos, flyfishing, freediving, giant squid, Heat stroke, highway, historical, history, holidays in mexico, humboldt squid, hurricane, hurricanes, ice chests, inshore fishing, inshore fishing in Baja Mexico, jack crevalle, Jonathan Roldan, kids, kids fishing, La Paz, La Paz Fishing, la ventana, las arenas, Leisure, light tackle, Living in Mexico, los barriles, luggage, marlin, Mexican, Mexican business, Mexican church cathedral, Mexican culture, mexican food, mexican food stands, Mexican Independence Day, mexican road crosses, Mexico, Mexico Christmas, Mexico coronavirus Baja, Mexico economy, Mexico life, Mexico neighborhood, midriff islands, missions, outfitters, pack for a purpose, packages, packing, packing fish, panga, Panga Fishing, pargo, passport, planning, pompano, rental car, rentals, road trip, roosterfish, Salt Water Fishing, Salt water lures, San Jose del Cabo, saving money, Sea of Cortez, seafood, seri indians, sierra, speaking spanish, spearfishing, sportfishing, squid fishing, storm, suitcases, Sun stroke, sustainable, taco, taco stand, Tailhunter International, techniques, testing facilities mexico airport, tiburon island, tourism, tours, transpeninsular highway, Travel, trolling tips, tuna, Tuna jackpot, tuna tournament, Uncategorized, vacations, vehicle, wahoo, water, waterspouts, weather, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications, women fishing, yellowtail, tagged amberjack, bahia, Baja Mexico, beaches, billfish, bonito, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, Cerralvo Island, charter, coronavirus in Mexico, deep sea, diving, dog-tooth, dorado, east cape, eco tours, espirito santo island, family, fish, Fishing, fishing report, Fishing Techniques, fishing tips, fishing video, fly fishing, fly fishing. Spearfishing, Fubar Cocina Cantina, gray whales, grey whales, guide, holiday, igfa, inshore, jack crevalle, jill roldan, Jonathan Roldan, kids, La Paz, las arenas, light tackle, live bait, los barriles, marlin, mexican, mexico, muertos bay, offshore, outfitter, package, panga, pargo, pompano, rooster fish, sailfish, scuba, sea lions, sea of cortez, seabass, sierra, snorkeling, sportfishing, suenos bay, swimming, tailhunter restaurant, tuna, vacation, wahoo, whale sharks, whale watching, women, world records, yellowtail on July 11, 2024| Leave a Comment »

A DIFFERENT EERIE LONELY

Originally Published the Week of July 11, 2024 in Western Outdoor Publications

You do what you need to do when you’re in need of food and money. There was a time some 30 years ago when I first ended up in Baja that there were some really lean times.

I mean, the kind of times where I would be looking under the seats of my van for enough spare change to buy a taco or two to eat.

The street vendors would make the tacos with two tortillas so I could make TWO tacos out’ve them. I would then stuff them with so much shredded lettuce, mince carrots, grilled onions as I could until overflowing.

So much for a balanced meal.

And now here I was in the middle of the ocean wondering what in the world I had signed up for.

I had been hired by TV film crew to accompany them to the offshore banks in the Pacific some 20 miles-or-so west of the Baja Peninsula and Bahia Magdalena.

They wanted to hook a bunch of striped marlin and send down a camera crew to film the action. There are times when you can hook dozens of marlin a day in the area.

The banks are rich with fish. Not only marlin, but wahoo, tuna, grouper, yellowtail and more.

It’s also known to have a lot of sharks!

My job?

As an experienced Divemaster, my job was to slip into the water with my SCUBA gear and follow the underwater camera crew.

Actually, I was to stay UNDER the camera crew.

Since they would be focusing through the camera on the crazy fishing, they would only have a very myopic view of their underwater surroundings.

My enviable job?

Hang out well below them and…

WATCH FOR SHARKS!

If sharks approached or look threatening, I was supposed to warn the camera crew. That was the whole job description.

I don’t know if I was supposed to poke them; prod them; blow bubbles at them or what. Somehow I was just supposed to alert them that sharks were prowling.

I was the scout. The point man.

I had a number of years as a working divemaster and fishing guide and diving guide. This seemed like an easy job. No one to lead around.

Just watch! How hard could that be for several days?

And I needed the money. A no-brainer.

That is…until I slipped into the water.

Blue blue blue. Clear clear clear. Nothing but blue

Even with hundreds of dives in my log book, this was something very very different.

It was beyond eerie. It was just me down there. I was used to having diving clients. I was used to having points of reference while diving. Things to see and gauge what I was doing.

A reef…rockpile…coral…a wreck…an island.

This was 20 miles into the middle of the ocean. In waters known to have sharks. In fact, that’s why they hired me!

I’ve dove with sharks before, but this was kinda creepy.

Kinda like in the horror movies where the kid goes down into the dark basement where the lights don’t work. You just KNOW all kinds of horrors await..scary clowns…a guy in hockey mask…a Chucky doll…

The mind races.

It was definitely a WHAT-THE-HE#L-MOMENT! It was a kick-yourself-in-the-butt and come-to-Jesus moment!

Here, there were no points of reference. No sounds.

At one point I was concentrating so hard trying to force my eyes to see into the blue vacuum that the boat and camera crew drifted away.

Suddenly, I find myself 30’ underwater.

Nothing but shimmering blue that goes into…dark shimmering blue below. The light from the surface gets sucked down into a darkening abyss. Vacuumed into liquid nothingness!

Somewhere down there hundreds of feet down is ocean bottom? Maybe ?

Around me more blue.

No sounds except the sound of my breathing in my regulator. Eerie penetrating silence. In middle of the ocean dozens of miles from land.

In my dives I have often found diving to be relaxing. Even soothing. Even harmonious. Like listening to new age music in a rainstorm or something like that.

This was hardly soothing or harmonious.

I had to choke down the bits of panic creeping into my brain. I was literally way over my head in the deep deep end of the Earth’s swimming pool. Suspended in blue space.

And alone. I’ve often been alone and crave solitude. But, this wasn’t like that. More lonely than I think I have ever felt.

I felt very small.

In a place that was well known for things that like to come out’ve the blue void and eat.

Very vulnerable. At the same time, I wanted to make myself even smaller and invisible.

I’ve been around long enough in the water to know that predators key on distress. They can smell it. They have tractor beams to it. And to me it felt like fear was seeping out’ve me in buckets.

I did the only thing I could.

Slowly rise with my bubbles to the surface. Gather myself.

Did a 360 on the surface and saw the big boat. About 100 yards away. Luckily, they had been looking for me as well.

For the next 10 minutes I bobbed and dangled out there. Like bait. Unnerving, but at least I knew they were coming for me.

Never saw a single shark over 3 days.

Never felt so good climbing onto that deck either.

That’s my story!

Jonathan

______________

They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront. If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is: jonathan@tailhunter.com

Or drop by the restaurant to say hi. It’s right on the La Paz waterfront!

_____________

Jonathan Roldan’s

Tailhunter International

Website:

www.tailhunter-international.com

Mexico Office: Tailhunter International, 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico

U.S. Mailing Address: Tailhunter International, 8030 La Mesa Blvd. #178, La Mesa CA 91942

Phones:

from USA : 626-638-3383

from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863

Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report: http://fishreport.jonathanroldan.com/

Tailhunter YouTube Video Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBLvdHL_p4-OAu3HfiVzW0g

“When your life finally flashes before your eyes, you will have only moments to regret all the things in life you never had the courage to try.”

Read Full Post »

CHECK YOUR TOYS AT THE DOOR PLEASE

Posted in Airline flights to Mexico, airlines, aquaculture, bahia de los muertos, bahia de los suenos, Baja, Baja Fishing, Baja fishing lures, Baja Life, Baja Mexico Fishing, Baja Rockfish, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, camping, car, CBX Express bridge, cerralvo, cerralvo island, charity, charters, christmas, chubasco, circle hooks, Coronavirus Baja Mexico, crankbait, deep sea, Dehydration, donations, dorado, driving, east cape, ecotourism, el nino, el sargento, espirito santo, family, farm-raised, first aid, fish, fish farming, fish pens, Fishing, fishing blogs, fishing hooks, Fishing lures, fishing packages, fishing reports, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, Fishing techniques, fishing tips, fishing tournaments, fishing trips, fishing videos, flyfishing, freediving, giant squid, green, Heat stroke, highway, historical, history, holidays in mexico, humboldt squid, hurricane, hurricanes, ice chests, inshore fishing, inshore fishing in Baja Mexico, jack crevalle, Jonathan Roldan, kids, kids fishing, La Paz, La Paz Fishing, la ventana, las arenas, Leisure, light tackle, Living in Mexico, los barriles, luggage, marlin, Mexican, Mexican business, Mexican church cathedral, Mexican culture, mexican food, mexican food stands, Mexican Independence Day, mexican road crosses, Mexico, Mexico Christmas, Mexico coronavirus Baja, Mexico economy, Mexico life, Mexico neighborhood, midriff islands, missions, outfitters, pack for a purpose, packages, packing, packing fish, panga, Panga Fishing, pargo, passport, planning, pompano, rental car, rentals, road trip, roosterfish, Salt Water Fishing, Salt water lures, San Jose del Cabo, saving money, Sea of Cortez, seafood, seri indians, sierra, speaking spanish, spearfishing, sportfishing, squid fishing, storm, storms, suitcases, Sun stroke, sustainable, taco, taco stand, Tailhunter International, techniques, testing facilities mexico airport, tiburon island, tourism, tours, transpeninsular highway, Travel, trolling tips, tuna, Tuna jackpot, tuna tournament, Uncategorized, vacations, vehicle, wahoo, water, waterspouts, weather, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications, women fishing, yellowtail, tagged amberjack, bahia, Baja Mexico, beaches, billfish, bonito, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, Cerralvo Island, charter, coronavirus in Mexico, deep sea, diving, dog-tooth, dorado, east cape, eco tours, espirito santo island, family, fish, Fishing, fishing report, Fishing Techniques, fishing tips, fishing video, fly fishing, fly fishing. Spearfishing, Fubar Cocina Cantina, gray whales, grey whales, guide, holiday, igfa, inshore, jack crevalle, jill roldan, Jonathan Roldan, kids, La Paz, las arenas, light tackle, live bait, los barriles, marlin, mexican, mexico, muertos bay, offshore, outfitter, package, panga, pargo, pompano, rooster fish, sailfish, scuba, sea lions, sea of cortez, seabass, sierra, snorkeling, sportfishing, suenos bay, swimming, tailhunter restaurant, tuna, vacation, wahoo, whale sharks, whale watching, women, world records, yellowtail on May 23, 2024| Leave a Comment »

CHECK YOUR TOYS AT THE DOOR…

Originally Published the Week of May 5, 2024 in Western Outdoor Publications

There was a time many many years ago in another time, space and dimension when I would visit Mexico to go fishing, I brought a lot of gear. Maybe you were the same way.

I had the biggest of the biggest rod tubes they sold. It was jammed with so many rods back-to-front and front-to-back.

As many as I could fit.

Trolling rods. Jig sticks. Live bait rods. Light tackle sticks. Flipping sticks. Meat sticks. Maybe a spinning rods or two for good measure.

It was like the old saying, “Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.”

Had to bring ‘em all plus every new rod that “needed to be broken in!”

And of course, that meant I needed a reel to match every rod. All by themselves, they filled a suitcase or an ice chest.

Can’t forget the terminal tackle either. Lures. Hooks. Extra line. Every color of lure, jig and trolling feather. Plus all the gadgets like dikes. Needle-nosed pliers. A fillet knife. Wire crimps and of course a fighting belt or harness. etc. etc.

Sound familiar?

I look back on those days and shake my head.

Honestly, at the end of the trip, I might have used 10% of all that. I couldn’t even physically carry that gear now. I wouldn’t want to on my old knees, shoulders and joints.

But those were the days when everyone did that.

We dragged these highly awkward 7 and 8-foot plastic rod tubes in our cars and through the airports. We tried not to smack folks in the head.

Our tackle bags required sherpas and porters to heft.

When we reached our destinations, it took half-a-day to set it all up.

And if your buddies all brought stuff, everyone had to spread their stuff out on the hotel room floor and beds and compare toys!

But, that was another day and time.

Airlines didn’t ding you an arm-and-leg for your luggage. Or hit you up for a small mortgage if things were over-sized or overweight.

Those were also days when “sharp things” weren’t frowned upon or outlawed in the cabin. They did not result in raised eyebrows going through an x-ray machine.

I’ve had friends try to carry on machetes, anchors, hunting knives, crossbows (yes!), spears and gaffs, let alone pocket knives and multi-tools.

But, over the years, that has all diminished quite a bit.

It’s just too hard. It’s too expensive.

The airlines and TSA are understandably too watchful. It’s a pain-in-the-@#$$ to get searched. We all hate just taking off our shoes!

But a number of folks still bring stuff. That’s all well-and-good. There’s another saying about “never going to war with someone else’s rifle.”

I get that too. We like our own gear.

But, just a heads-up.

Mexican customs is also getting more circumspect as well. If you travel by plane, we all fill out those customs forms. But, of course, we never actually read them!

But, there are restrictions.

And those restrictions have always been there. We just never cared much or they always waved us through.

The faster to get to our hotels and wrap our hands around a tall cold one and get those vacations started.

Some are calling it a “money grab.” But, hey, the law is the law. Rules are rules.

You drive 50 in a 35 mph zone every day and never get busted. Then one day you get pulled over, it’s hard to argue the point

But, Mexico customs has rules like how many CD’s and DVD’s you can bring. How many cameras you’re allowed to have. How much work material you can bring. Blah blah.

And yes, there’s a rules limiting how much sports equipment you can drag into the country.

And that includes fishing gear.

Yup!

The rule is 4 rods and reels per person. And that doesn’t mean you can have one tube with 12 rods for you and your 3 other buddies.

Four outfits for each individual person. Each carrying their own.

But, there’s more to the rub. A bigger ouch.

Many airlines are restricting the fishing outfits to only 2 per person. Two rods. Two reels.

And when you hit the customs inspectors at the airport, there’s a fine for violations. Go to the little room and pay the man.

They’re not checking everyone.

But, they are checking more often.

They’re not being mean. They’re just being more diligent.

And if there’s new gear, they might ask for a receipt showing the value of the item. Yes, there’s a tax on that too.

And it’s no fun getting asked to walk to the little customs room to fill out forms and pay the fine.

So, just be aware before you start packing all your gear. Check your airlines and be forewarned that you might be that one person out’ve 10 in line that gets pulled aside.

Like getting pulled over for speeding while everyone zooms by you. Why me? Just not your lucky day.

Bad way to start your vacation!

That’s my story!

Jonathan

______________

They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront. If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is: jonathan@tailhunter.com

Or drop by the restaurant to say hi. It’s right on the La Paz waterfront!

_____________

Jonathan Roldan’s

Tailhunter International

Website:

www.tailhunter-international.com

Mexico Office: Tailhunter International, 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico

U.S. Mailing Address: Tailhunter International, 8030 La Mesa Blvd. #178, La Mesa CA 91942

Phones:

from USA : 626-638-3383

from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863

Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report: http://fishreport.jonathanroldan.com/

Tailhunter YouTube Video Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBLvdHL_p4-OAu3HfiVzW0g

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing.“

Read Full Post »

CHECK YOUR TOYS!

Posted in Airline flights to Mexico, airlines, aquaculture, bahia de los muertos, bahia de los suenos, Baja, Baja Fishing, Baja fishing lures, Baja Life, Baja Mexico Fishing, Baja Rockfish, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, camping, car, CBX Express bridge, cerralvo, cerralvo island, charity, charters, christmas, chubasco, circle hooks, Coronavirus Baja Mexico, crankbait, deep sea, Dehydration, donations, dorado, driving, east cape, ecotourism, el nino, el sargento, espirito santo, family, farm-raised, first aid, fish, fish farming, fish pens, Fishing, fishing blogs, fishing hooks, Fishing lures, fishing packages, fishing reports, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, Fishing techniques, fishing tips, fishing tournaments, fishing trips, fishing videos, flyfishing, freediving, giant squid, green, Heat stroke, highway, historical, history, holidays in mexico, humboldt squid, hurricane, hurricanes, ice chests, inshore fishing, inshore fishing in Baja Mexico, jack crevalle, Jonathan Roldan, kids, kids fishing, La Paz, La Paz Fishing, la ventana, las arenas, Leisure, light tackle, Living in Mexico, los barriles, luggage, marlin, Mexican, Mexican business, Mexican church cathedral, Mexican culture, mexican food, mexican food stands, Mexican Independence Day, mexican road crosses, Mexico, Mexico Christmas, Mexico coronavirus Baja, Mexico economy, Mexico life, Mexico neighborhood, midriff islands, missions, outfitters, pack for a purpose, packages, packing, packing fish, panga, Panga Fishing, pargo, passport, planning, pompano, rental car, rentals, road trip, roosterfish, Salt Water Fishing, Salt water lures, San Jose del Cabo, saving money, Sea of Cortez, seafood, sierra, speaking spanish, spearfishing, sportfishing, squid fishing, storm, suitcases, Sun stroke, sustainable, taco, taco stand, Tailhunter International, techniques, testing facilities mexico airport, tiburon island, tourism, tours, transpeninsular highway, Travel, trolling tips, tuna, Tuna jackpot, tuna tournament, Uncategorized, vacations, vehicle, wahoo, water, waterspouts, weather, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications, women fishing, yellowtail, tagged amberjack, bahia, Baja Mexico, beaches, billfish, bonito, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, Cerralvo Island, charter, coronavirus in Mexico, deep sea, diving, dog-tooth, dorado, east cape, eco tours, espirito santo island, family, fish, Fishing, fishing report, Fishing Techniques, fishing tips, fishing video, fly fishing, fly fishing. Spearfishing, Fubar Cocina Cantina, gray whales, grey whales, guide, holiday, igfa, inshore, jack crevalle, jill roldan, Jonathan Roldan, kids, La Paz, las arenas, light tackle, live bait, los barriles, marlin, mexican, mexico, muertos bay, offshore, outfitter, package, panga, pargo, pompano, rooster fish, sailfish, scuba, sea lions, sea of cortez, seabass, sierra, snorkeling, sportfishing, suenos bay, swimming, tailhunter restaurant, tuna, vacation, wahoo, whale sharks, whale watching, women, world records, yellowtail on May 6, 2024| Leave a Comment »

CHECK YOUR TOYS!

Originally Published the Week of May 5, 2024 in Western Outdoor Publications

There was a time many many years ago in another time, space and dimension when I would visit Mexico to go fishing, I brought a lot of gear. Maybe you were the same way.

I had the biggest of the biggest rod tubes they sold. It was jammed with so many rods back-to-front and front-to-back.

As many as I could fit.

Trolling rods. Jig sticks. Live bait rods. Light tackle sticks. Flipping sticks. Meat sticks. Maybe a spinning rods or two for good measure.

It was like the old saying, “Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.”

Had to bring ‘em all plus every new rod that “needed to be broken in!”

And of course, that meant I needed a reel to match every rod. All by themselves, they filled a suitcase or an ice chest.

Sound familiar?

I look back on those days and shake my head.

Honestly, at the end of the trip, I might have used 10% of all that. I couldn’t even physically carry that gear now. I wouldn’t want to on my old knees, shoulders and joints.

But those were the days when everyone did that.

We dragged these highly awkward 7 and 8-foot plastic rod tubes in our cars and through the airports. We tried not to smack folks in the head.

Our tackle bags required sherpas and porters to heft.

When we reached our destinations, it took half-a-day to set it all up.

And if your buddies all brought stuff, everyone had to spread their stuff out on the hotel room floor and beds and compare toys!

But, that was another day and time.

Airlines didn’t ding you an arm-and-leg for your luggage. Or hit you up for a small mortgage if things were over-sized or overweight.

Those were also days when “sharp things” weren’t frowned upon or outlawed in the cabin. They did not result in raised eyebrows going through an x-ray machine.

I’ve had friends try to carry on machetes, anchors, hunting knives, crossbows (yes!), spears and gaffs, let alone pocket knives and multi-tools.

But, over the years, that has all diminished quite a bit.

It’s just too hard. It’s too expensive.

The airlines and TSA are understandably too watchful. It’s a pain-in-the-@#$$ to get searched. We all hate just taking off our shoes!

But a number of folks still bring stuff. That’s all well-and-good. There’s another saying about “never going to war with someone else’s rifle.”

I get that too. We like our own gear.

But, just a heads-up.

Mexican customs is also getting more circumspect as well. If you travel by plane, we all fill out those customs forms. But, of course, we never actually read them!

But, there are restrictions.

And those restrictions have always been there. We just never cared much or they always waved us through.

The faster to get to our hotels and wrap our hands around a tall cold one and get those vacations started.

Some are calling it a “money grab.” But, hey, the law is the law. Rules are rules.

You drive 50 in a 35 mph zone every day and never get busted. Then one day you get pulled over, it’s hard to argue the point

But, Mexico customs has rules like how many CD’s and DVD’s you can bring. How many cameras you’re allowed to have. How much work material you can bring. Blah blah.

And yes, there’s a rules limiting how much sports equipment you can drag into the country.

And that includes fishing gear.

Yup!

The rule is 4 rods and reels per person. And that doesn’t mean you can have one tube with 12 rods for you and your 3 other buddies.

Four outfits for each individual person. Each carrying their own.

But, there’s more to the rub. A bigger ouch.

Many airlines are restricting the fishing outfits to only 2 per person. Two rods. Two reels.

And when you hit the customs inspectors at the airport, there’s a fine for violations. Go to the little room and pay the man.

They’re not checking everyone.

But, they are checking more often.

And if there’s new gear, they might ask for a receipt showing the value of the item. Yes, there’s a tax on that too.

And it’s no fun getting asked to walk to the little customs room to fill out forms and pay the fine.

So, just be aware before you start packing all your gear. Check your airlines and be forewarned that you might be that one person out’ve 10 in line that gets pulled aside.

Like getting pulled over for speeding while everyone zooms by you. Why me? Just not your lucky day.

Bad way to start your vacation!

That’s my story…

Jonathan

______________

They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront. If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is: jonathan@tailhunter.com

Or drop by the restaurant to say hi. It’s right on the La Paz waterfront!

_____________

Jonathan Roldan’s

Tailhunter International

Website:

www.tailhunter-international.com

Mexico Office: Tailhunter International, 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico

U.S. Mailing Address: Tailhunter International, 8030 La Mesa Blvd. #178, La Mesa CA 91942

Phones:

from USA : 626-638-3383

from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863

Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report: http://fishreport.jonathanroldan.com/

Tailhunter YouTube Video Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBLvdHL_p4-OAu3HfiVzW0g

“When your life finally flashes before your eyes, you will have only moments to regret all the things in life you never had the courage to try.”

Read Full Post »

NEVER WOULD I EVER

Posted in Airline flights to Mexico, airlines, aquaculture, bahia de los muertos, bahia de los suenos, Baja, Baja Fishing, Baja fishing lures, Baja Life, Baja Mexico Fishing, Baja Rockfish, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, camping, car, CBX Express bridge, cerralvo, cerralvo island, charity, charters, christmas, chubasco, circle hooks, Coronavirus Baja Mexico, crankbait, deep sea, Dehydration, donations, dorado, driving, east cape, ecotourism, el nino, el sargento, espirito santo, family, farm-raised, first aid, fish, fish farming, fish pens, Fishing, fishing blogs, fishing hooks, Fishing lures, fishing packages, fishing reports, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, Fishing techniques, fishing tips, fishing tournaments, fishing trips, fishing videos, flyfishing, freediving, giant squid, green, Heat stroke, highway, historical, history, holidays in mexico, humboldt squid, hurricane, hurricanes, ice chests, inshore fishing, inshore fishing in Baja Mexico, jack crevalle, Jonathan Roldan, kids, kids fishing, La Paz, La Paz Fishing, la ventana, las arenas, Leisure, light tackle, Living in Mexico, los barriles, luggage, marlin, Mexican, Mexican business, Mexican church cathedral, Mexican culture, mexican food, mexican food stands, Mexican Independence Day, mexican road crosses, Mexico, Mexico Christmas, Mexico coronavirus Baja, Mexico economy, Mexico life, Mexico neighborhood, midriff islands, missions, outfitters, pack for a purpose, packages, packing, packing fish, panga, Panga Fishing, pargo, passport, planning, pompano, rental car, rentals, road trip, roosterfish, Salt Water Fishing, Salt water lures, San Jose del Cabo, saving money, Sea of Cortez, seafood, seri indians, sierra, speaking spanish, spearfishing, sportfishing, squid fishing, storm, storms, suitcases, Sun stroke, sustainable, taco, taco stand, Tailhunter International, techniques, testing facilities mexico airport, tiburon island, tourism, tours, transpeninsular highway, Travel, trolling tips, tuna, tuna tournament, Uncategorized, vacations, vehicle, wahoo, water, waterspouts, weather, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications, women fishing, yellowtail, tagged amberjack, bahia, Baja Mexico, beaches, billfish, bonito, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, Cerralvo Island, charter, coronavirus in Mexico, deep sea, diving, dog-tooth, dorado, east cape, eco tours, espirito santo island, family, fish, Fishing, fishing report, Fishing Techniques, fishing tips, fishing video, fly fishing, fly fishing. Spearfishing, Fubar Cocina Cantina, gray whales, grey whales, guide, holiday, igfa, inshore, jack crevalle, jill roldan, Jonathan Roldan, kids, La Paz, las arenas, light tackle, live bait, los barriles, marlin, mexican, mexico, muertos bay, offshore, outfitter, package, panga, pargo, pompano, rooster fish, sailfish, scuba, sea lions, sea of cortez, seabass, sierra, snorkeling, sportfishing, suenos bay, swimming, tailhunter restaurant, tuna, vacation, wahoo, whale sharks, whale watching, women, world records, yellowtail on April 11, 2024| Leave a Comment »

NEVER WOULD I EVER

Originally Published in Western Outdoor Publications the Week of Mar. 8, 2024

I’ve been in La Paz now for some 30 years. For sure, there are more years behind me than in front of me on this adventure.

There’s something to that saying about “God closes windows and opens other doors.” We did OK. We’ve survived a lot of ups and downs and all-things-being-said, it’s been a wonderful blessed ride.

Laughingly, I probably wouldn’t do it again! And, if I did, I sometimes think of all the things I would have done differently.

But, on the other hand, all things today are because of all the experiences that happened in the past. It’s a total culmination.

It turned into another career that I never anticipated.

It turned into several businesses in Mexico that were not on the agenda.

As a confirmed bachelor for over 50 years, I finally found my wonderful life partner in my wife, Jilly.

Funny how things happen when you’re not even looking that hard. And it’s funny how things happen and what you do when you’re hungry!

But, never ever in a million years would I have anticipated that I went from being a suit-and-tie litigation attorney to living in my van those first few years.

I thought I was just taking a year off from the hectic blood-and-dusty coliseum of the courtroom.

Went to work on a remote part of the East Cape as a fishing guide, divemaster and chef.

Well, 8 months into it, that didn’t work out unfortunately and I found myself jobless and homeless and a stranger in a strange land!

My Spanish was limited. I was down to my last 6 dollars. There were no cellphones 30 years ago.

Worst of all, because of what happened at my “supposed” job, I was without a passport and my ex“boss” had never filed my work papers!

Scary to say the least. Talk about the rug being pulled out from under my feet.

No money. Totally illegal.

No way to communicate with anyone. No cellphone back then.

Couldn’t drive back to the U.S. Couldn’t even afford the gas, even if I could legally get across. (And this was before 9/11!).

Imagine me in a beat-up van showing up at the border. A brown guy with with no paperwork!

Oh, and I had Jimmy, my dog too! That would’ve gone over really well with the border inspectors!

There was 900 miles of desert between me and the border.

It might as well have been a million miles! Prospects did not look promising.

I made it up to La Paz and walked into every hotel I could find. I told whatever manager I could find that I could run and set up a fishing or diving operation for them.

Remember, my Spanish was not that great back then and frankly, in my raggedy clothes, looking back, it wasn’t a greaet impression.

I’m sure that had a lot to do with getting turned down.

Plus, how could anyone legally hire me?

I had no work papers. I had no passport. It looked pretty grim.

I did the only thing I knew how to do…and not very well, but it’s all I could do!

I went out on the street and offered to take people fishing.

I was down to my last 2 dollars when someone heard me speaking English and inquired about taking him fishing.

I asked how much money he had.

“I have $60.”

“Sir, that is exactly the price of a day of fishing!”

I called a friend who had a functioning car. He offered to drive the prospective client and myself to the beach and make some burritos for lunch. He called a captain who had a panga and some fishing rods.

All of us were pretty penniless at the time. We agreed to each split the $60. Twenty bucks each sounded like a lottery win at the time!

The guy went fishing and caught a mess of dorado. He even tipped me an extra $10!

Best of all, he wanted to fish 2 more days! Holy cow. BINGO!

And that’s how it all started…

I pretty much lived in my van with my dog on a back street of La Paz. No one really ever knew for several years.

I found some wooden palettes and built a Charlie Brown style lemonade stand and would stand out there on the waterfront every day. I was just hoping to entice someone to let me take them out fishing.

My target was just hoping to get at least one booking per week to survive.

In between bookings, I would search the cracks between the car seats for enough change to buy street tacos to eat and share with Jimmy, the dog. I took showers wherever I could or whoever would let me sometimes crash on a couch.

Sometimes, I would pray and hope the clients would invite me to dinner.

It was a wild hand-to-mouth existence.

We survived. We grew. We’re still here 30 years later. We’ve come a long way.

But, never would I ever have foreseen the journey or the path. And I wouldn’t do it again, but I’m grateful how it all turned out. Life takes some funny turns.

Oh, and I never ever had to put on a suit and tie again either!

That’s my story!

Jonathan

______________

They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront. If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is: jonathan@tailhunter.com

Or drop by the restaurant to say hi. It’s right on the La Paz waterfront!

_____________

Jonathan Roldan’s

Tailhunter International

Website:

www.tailhunter-international.com

Mexico Office: Tailhunter International, 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico

U.S. Mailing Address: Tailhunter International, 8030 La Mesa Blvd. #178, La Mesa CA 91942

Phones:

from USA : 626-638-3383

from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863

Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report: http://fishreport.jonathanroldan.com/

Tailhunter YouTube Video Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBLvdHL_p4-OAu3HfiVzW0g

“When your life finally flashes before your eyes, you will have only moments to regret all the things in life you never had the courage to try.”

Read Full Post »

HOW’s THAT LITTLE BLUE PILL WORKING FOR YOU?

Posted in Airline flights to Mexico, airlines, aquaculture, bahia de los muertos, bahia de los suenos, Baja, Baja Fishing, Baja fishing lures, Baja Life, Baja Mexico Fishing, Baja Rockfish, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, camping, car, CBX Express bridge, cerralvo, cerralvo island, charity, charters, christmas, chubasco, circle hooks, Coronavirus Baja Mexico, crankbait, deep sea, Dehydration, donations, dorado, driving, east cape, ecotourism, el nino, el sargento, espirito santo, family, farm-raised, first aid, fish, fish farming, fish pens, Fishing, fishing blogs, fishing hooks, Fishing lures, fishing packages, fishing reports, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, Fishing techniques, fishing tips, fishing tournaments, fishing trips, fishing videos, flyfishing, freediving, giant squid, Heat stroke, highway, historical, history, holidays in mexico, humboldt squid, hurricane, hurricanes, ice chests, inshore fishing, inshore fishing in Baja Mexico, jack crevalle, Jonathan Roldan, kids, kids fishing, La Paz, La Paz Fishing, la ventana, las arenas, Leisure, light tackle, Living in Mexico, los barriles, luggage, marlin, Mexican, Mexican business, Mexican church cathedral, Mexican culture, mexican food, mexican food stands, Mexican Independence Day, mexican road crosses, Mexico, Mexico Christmas, Mexico coronavirus Baja, Mexico economy, Mexico life, Mexico neighborhood, midriff islands, missions, outfitters, pack for a purpose, packages, packing, packing fish, panga, Panga Fishing, pargo, passport, planning, pompano, rental car, rentals, road trip, roosterfish, Salt Water Fishing, Salt water lures, San Jose del Cabo, saving money, Sea of Cortez, seafood, seri indians, sierra, speaking spanish, spearfishing, sportfishing, squid fishing, storm, storms, suitcases, Sun stroke, sustainable, taco, taco stand, Tailhunter International, techniques, testing facilities mexico airport, tiburon island, tourism, tours, transpeninsular highway, Travel, trolling tips, tuna, Tuna jackpot, tuna tournament, Uncategorized, vacations, vehicle, wahoo, water, waterspouts, weather, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications, women fishing, yellowtail, tagged amberjack, bahia, Baja Mexico, beaches, billfish, bonito, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, Cerralvo Island, charter, coronavirus in Mexico, deep sea, diving, dog-tooth, dorado, east cape, eco tours, espirito santo island, family, fish, Fishing, fishing report, Fishing Techniques, fishing tips, fishing video, fly fishing, fly fishing. Spearfishing, Fubar Cocina Cantina, gray whales, grey whales, guide, holiday, igfa, inshore, jack crevalle, jill roldan, Jonathan Roldan, kids, La Paz, las arenas, light tackle, live bait, los barriles, marlin, mexican, mexico, muertos bay, offshore, outfitter, package, panga, pargo, pompano, rooster fish, sailfish, scuba, sea lions, sea of cortez, seabass, sierra, snorkeling, sportfishing, suenos bay, swimming, tailhunter restaurant, tuna, vacation, wahoo, whale sharks, whale watching, women, world records, yellowtail on March 23, 2024| Leave a Comment »

HOW’s THAT LITTLE BLUE PILL WORKING OUT FOR YOU?

Originally Published the Week of Mar. 22, 2024 in Western Outdoor Publications

Mexico has always been a handy little place to get your medications…medicinal as well as recreational. For many, it’s just a hop, skip and jump…or flight across the border.

Thousand cross the border for legitimate medications. No question that they are often significantly cheaper and easier to obtain.

There are numerous chain as well as mom-and-pop storefronts that offer any number of pharmaceuticals. Many sell generic medications that are even less expensive than name brands which are already discounted.

Many medications that require prescriptions can be purchased easily over-the-counter. Or, in some cases, even prescription meds aren’t really that difficult to obtain.

In many places, there’s just one “little hurdle.”

For instance in our own city of La Paz, I was going travelling and had a minor tooth issue. I needed some antibiotics.

I went to the pharmacy and was told I needed a prescription. Right next door attached the pharmacy was a doorway to the “doctor.”

I walked through a little waiting room (no receptionist) to the “doctor’s office” down the hall. I was greeted by the doctor. Nice little office. White lab coat and he sounded like a real doctor.

Very professionally, he listened to what ailed me and agreed that the antibiotics would work. He wrote me the prescription. I paid $10 for the “consultation.”

I went back next door and purchased the antibiotics for about $8.

Easy-schmeazy!

I’ve purchased the same antibiotics in Cabo straight off the shelf behind the counter. Zero questions.

Paid the clerk and that was it. Done deal.

As long as it’s not a “controlled substance,” it doesn’t seem to be a big deal. Many of our friends and travelers do the same thing. It’s how it’s done.

You purchase your meds directly over the counter or you get a prescription next door.

Especially for locals where a visit to a doctor’s office can be expensive and time consuming, it’s much more expedient to just go straight to the pharmacy.

But, pump the brakes…

Acting on an investigative report by an American newspaper into Mexican pharmacies, Mexican authorities launched their own operation i.e. raids.

Numerous pharmacies including vendors in Ensenada, Cabo San Lucas, La Paz and Puerto Vallarta were just some of the targeted cities. As well, popular tourist destinations on the Caribbean side such as Cancun and Playa de Carmen among others were scrutinized.

The results were troubling on many levels.

The “irregularities” were eye-opening as numerous drugstores were found to be selling counterfeit medications. Counterfeits were complete with meticulously perfect bottles and packaging.

As many as half of the vendors investigated were either selling illegal medications or fakes that were not the medications they were supposed to be. Sales were in standardized packaging as well as selling unbottled or packaged “loose pills.”

The infractions ran the gamut from legal medications that were “tainted” and/or outright fake. In other cases, dangerous medications were purposely mislabeled.

Investigators also found outdated medications as well as medications which had no known supplier. Blank prescriptions were also discovered.

Pretty scary stuff.

Some small samples…

In one search, almost all the pills sold as oxycodone, hydrocodone and Adderall were fake. Some samples actually tested as being meth or fentanyl. Some bottles of Adderall actually turned out to be clobenzorex which is an appetite suppressor.

The raids resulted in some arrests but also dozens of pharmacies being shut down and thousands of boxes and bottles of pills being confiscated. There were also some fines.

However, like many things, it’s not the end of the story.

Many pharmacies re-opened not long after. Business as usual.

Some employees admitted that they know when to hide the contraband as they are tipped off about raids. Others have secret stashes.

Some say, the searches are irregular. They are searched and authorities find the bad stuff and do nothing.

The most troubling part is that pharmacy owners cavalierly are dismissive saying the searches and closures will “just harm tourism.”

According to them, the searches shouldn’t be publicized acknowledging the volume of Americans that come to Mexico specifically to purchase supposedly “legitimate” medications.

Many admitted that they specifically targeted tourists and generally only sold the fakes and counterfeits to tourists. Tourists are easy and willing marks.

Afterall, it’s an old story. Supply and demand. Like illegal drugs, Americans want their meds.

They pay their cash. They leave. They go home. There’s no blowback on the business.

So, think twice about what you’re buying and where you’re buying it.

I never saw Viagra mentioned in any reports, but if it ain’t working or “lasts longer than 4 hours” like the commercials say…you might really need to see a doctor!

VIAGRA MAN

That’s my story!

Jonathan

______________

Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004. Along with his wife and fishing buddy, Jilly, they own and run the Tailhunter Sportfishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico www.tailhunter.com.

They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront. If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is: jonathan@tailhunter.com

Or drop by the restaurant to say hi. It’s right on the La Paz waterfront!

_____________

Jonathan Roldan’s

Tailhunter International

Website:

www.tailhunter-international.com

Mexico Office: Tailhunter International, 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico

U.S. Mailing Address: Tailhunter International, 8030 La Mesa Blvd. #178, La Mesa CA 91942

Phones:

from USA : 626-638-3383

from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863

Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report: http://fishreport.jonathanroldan.com/

Tailhunter YouTube Video Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBLvdHL_p4-OAu3HfiVzW0g

“When your life finally flashes before your eyes, you will have only moments to regret all the things in life you never had the courage to try.”

Read Full Post »

YESSIR! I HAVE FISH IN MY ICE CHEST

Posted in Airline flights to Mexico, airlines, aquaculture, bahia de los muertos, bahia de los suenos, Baja, Baja Fishing, Baja fishing lures, Baja Life, Baja Mexico Fishing, Baja Rockfish, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, camping, car, CBX Express bridge, cerralvo, cerralvo island, charity, charters, christmas, chubasco, circle hooks, Coronavirus Baja Mexico, crankbait, deep sea, Dehydration, donations, dorado, driving, east cape, ecotourism, el nino, el sargento, espirito santo, family, farm-raised, first aid, fish, fish farming, fish pens, Fishing, fishing blogs, fishing hooks, Fishing lures, fishing packages, fishing reports, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, Fishing techniques, fishing tips, fishing tournaments, fishing trips, fishing videos, flyfishing, freediving, giant squid, Heat stroke, highway, historical, history, holidays in mexico, humboldt squid, hurricane, hurricanes, ice chests, inshore fishing, inshore fishing in Baja Mexico, jack crevalle, Jonathan Roldan, kids, kids fishing, La Paz, La Paz Fishing, la ventana, las arenas, Leisure, light tackle, Living in Mexico, los barriles, luggage, marlin, Mexican, Mexican business, Mexican church cathedral, Mexican culture, mexican food, mexican food stands, Mexican Independence Day, mexican road crosses, Mexico, Mexico Christmas, Mexico coronavirus Baja, Mexico economy, Mexico life, Mexico neighborhood, midriff islands, missions, outfitters, pack for a purpose, packages, packing, packing fish, panga, Panga Fishing, pargo, passport, planning, pompano, rental car, rentals, road trip, roosterfish, Salt Water Fishing, Salt water lures, San Jose del Cabo, saving money, Sea of Cortez, seafood, seri indians, sierra, speaking spanish, spearfishing, sportfishing, squid fishing, storm, storms, suitcases, Sun stroke, sustainable, taco, taco stand, Tailhunter International, techniques, testing facilities mexico airport, tiburon island, tourism, tours, transpeninsular highway, Travel, trolling tips, tuna, Tuna jackpot, tuna tournament, Uncategorized, vacations, vehicle, wahoo, water, waterspouts, weather, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications, women fishing, yellowtail, tagged amberjack, bahia, Baja Mexico, beaches, billfish, bonito, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, Cerralvo Island, charter, coronavirus in Mexico, deep sea, diving, dog-tooth, dorado, east cape, eco tours, espirito santo island, family, fish, Fishing, fishing report, Fishing Techniques, fishing tips, fishing video, fly fishing, fly fishing. Spearfishing, Fubar Cocina Cantina, gray whales, grey whales, guide, holiday, igfa, inshore, jack crevalle, jill roldan, Jonathan Roldan, kids, La Paz, las arenas, light tackle, live bait, los barriles, marlin, mexican, mexico, muertos bay, offshore, outfitter, package, panga, pargo, pompano, rooster fish, sailfish, scuba, sea lions, sea of cortez, seabass, sierra, snorkeling, sportfishing, suenos bay, swimming, tailhunter restaurant, tuna, vacation, wahoo, whale sharks, whale watching, women, world records, yellowtail on March 2, 2024| Leave a Comment »

YESSIR! I HAVE FISH IN MY ICE CHEST

Originally Published the Week of Feb. 22 in Western Outdoor Publications

It’s a question I always got every time I crossed the border. Either coming through in vehicle, but most likely I was usually at the airport.

“Looks like fishing was good. You got fish in there?” asks the customs officer.

“Yessir, fishing was good,” I reply with my best disarming smile. I’ve got some fish in the ice chest to bring home!”

I get waved through.

I try to be just like all the other guys portaging their catch back home through customs. Get through border checks with the least amount of hassle.

Fewer questions the better. Although I never transported anything back illegally to the U.S., it’s no fun getting called over for a secondary inspection. That’s where they open up all your luggage and do a search.

And yes, it’s true that “usually” I’m lugging fish from Mexico, but I’m sometimes not telling the complete truth about what’s in the ice chest.

I mean, who says it’s only for fish? And truth-be-told, just how many fillets of dorado and tuna do I really need to be carrying back?

If I have “extra room,” I might as well fill it, right?

In fact, next time you’re down, you might want to consider a number of other things to stash!

Tortillas – I’m not talking about the cardboard tasting Taco Bell type tortillas. I’m talking the real deal from a local tortillaria.

The best are the numerous mom-and-pop stands or stores where the tortillas come off warm and flavorful and handmade. A kilo of them doesn’t cost much and they will be unlike anything you can usually find in the U.S.

They will be a perfect complement to the fish you’re hopefully bringing home. I bring home made tortillas back to the U.S. all the time and they are a much anticipated gift to friends and family.

Candy – Back when my nieces and nephews were little, I never knew what to bring them from Mexico. T-shirts? I could never remember their sizes.

But in Mexico, $20 bucks buys a big bunch of Mexican candy that you can’t find in the U.S. It’s why I’m everyone’s favorite uncle and why their parents hate me when their kids bounce off the walls high on sugar!

Machaca – You really want to eat “Mexican style?” Get yourself a bag or two of machaca. Machaca is dehydrated dried shredded seasoned beef. Think shredded beef jerky.

Bring some home and throw it in a pan with a little oil, butter, onions, garlic and chili. A little water too and let it heat up and re-constitute. Throw it into those tortillas you brought home or dish it out with some scrambled eggs or some rice. Now you’re cooking!

Salsa – Head down the salsa aisle at any Mexican grocery store and you will see dozens of bottled salsas of all shapes, flavors, sizes and temperatures. Habanero…jalapeno…chipotle…ancho chili and more.

There are salsas for meat. There are salsas specifically for seafood and some that are just all-around good to have for any meal. And they are cheap gifts too!

Tamales – I think these are my #1 go-to item to put in my ice chest. Follow that aroma to some little corner stand with the steam pots. Don’t be surprised to find a line!

Chances are you’ll find several different flavored tamales like pork, beef, chicken and mushroom, cheese and chili and many more.

Unlike U.S. tamales that are often very small, Mexican tamales are hefty! Drop one on your foot can cause injury.

The place near our home in La Paz sells tamales that weight about 1 pound each!

Just make sure you let them cool before you put them into your ice chest with something like frozen fish. Freezing your tamales is even better.

Shellfish – It’s illegal to catch your own shellfish in Mexico. However, there’s nothing illegal about heading to the local seafood market often found in the “farmer’s market” areas.

Seafood is fresh from the water and these are often the vendors that sell to the larger markets.

My favorites are shrimp, scallops and clams!

Mexican shrimp is especially sweet and although the scallops and clams can be bite-sized, they are inexpensive and another super addition to your ice chest. Again, make sure they are frozen or at least chilled up before travelling home with them in your cooler.

Don’t travel home empty-handed!

That’s my story!

Jonathan

______________

They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront. If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is: jonathan@tailhunter.com

Or drop by the restaurant to say hi. It’s right on the La Paz waterfront!

_____________

Jonathan Roldan’s

Tailhunter International

Website:

www.tailhunter-international.com

Mexico Office: Tailhunter International, 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico

U.S. Mailing Address: Tailhunter International, 8030 La Mesa Blvd. #178, La Mesa CA 91942

Phones:

from USA : 626-638-3383

from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863

Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report: http://fishreport.jonathanroldan.com/

Tailhunter YouTube Video Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBLvdHL_p4-OAu3HfiVzW0g

“When your life finally flashes before your eyes, you will have only moments to regret all the things in life you never had the courage to try.”

Read Full Post »

COVERED IN LIGHTS

Posted in Airline flights to Mexico, airlines, aquaculture, bahia de los muertos, bahia de los suenos, Baja, Baja Fishing, Baja fishing lures, Baja Life, Baja Mexico Fishing, Baja Rockfish, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, camping, car, CBX Express bridge, cerralvo, cerralvo island, charity, charters, christmas, chubasco, circle hooks, crankbait, deep sea, Dehydration, donations, dorado, driving, east cape, ecotourism, el nino, el sargento, espirito santo, family, first aid, fish, fish farming, fish pens, Fishing, fishing blogs, fishing hooks, Fishing lures, fishing packages, fishing reports, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, Fishing techniques, fishing tips, fishing tournaments, fishing trips, fishing videos, flyfishing, freediving, giant squid, green, Heat stroke, highway, historical, history, holidays in mexico, humboldt squid, hurricane, hurricanes, ice chests, inshore fishing, inshore fishing in Baja Mexico, jack crevalle, Jonathan Roldan, kids, kids fishing, La Paz, La Paz Fishing, la ventana, las arenas, Leisure, light tackle, Living in Mexico, los barriles, luggage, marlin, Mexican, Mexican business, Mexican church cathedral, Mexican culture, mexican food, mexican food stands, Mexican Independence Day, mexican road crosses, Mexico, Mexico Christmas, Mexico coronavirus Baja, Mexico economy, Mexico life, Mexico neighborhood, midriff islands, missions, outfitters, pack for a purpose, packages, packing, packing fish, panga, Panga Fishing, pargo, passport, planning, pompano, rental car, rentals, road trip, roosterfish, Salt Water Fishing, Salt water lures, San Jose del Cabo, saving money, Sea of Cortez, seafood, seri indians, sierra, speaking spanish, spearfishing, sportfishing, squid fishing, storm, storms, suitcases, Sun stroke, sustainable, taco, taco stand, Tailhunter International, techniques, testing facilities mexico airport, tiburon island, tourism, tours, transpeninsular highway, Travel, trolling tips, tuna, Tuna jackpot, tuna tournament, Uncategorized, vacations, vehicle, wahoo, water, waterspouts, weather, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications, women fishing, yellowtail, tagged amberjack, bahia, Baja Mexico, beaches, billfish, bonito, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, Cerralvo Island, charter, coronavirus in Mexico, deep sea, diving, dog-tooth, dorado, east cape, eco tours, espirito santo island, family, fish, Fishing, fishing report, Fishing Techniques, fishing tips, fishing video, fly fishing, fly fishing. Spearfishing, Fubar Cocina Cantina, gray whales, grey whales, guide, holiday, igfa, inshore, jack crevalle, jill roldan, Jonathan Roldan, kids, La Paz, las arenas, light tackle, live bait, los barriles, marlin, mexican, mexico, muertos bay, offshore, outfitter, package, panga, pargo, pompano, rooster fish, sailfish, scuba, sea lions, sea of cortez, seabass, sierra, snorkeling, sportfishing, suenos bay, swimming, tailhunter restaurant, tuna, vacation, wahoo, whale sharks, whale watching, women, world records, yellowtail on February 6, 2024| Leave a Comment »

COVERED IN LIGHTS

Originally Published Feb. 2024 in Western Outdoor Publications

“I remember when the bay was pretty much completely dark at night,” my wife is fond of saying when she look around the bay some nights.

“But now look. The lights go completely around the bay and growing all the time.”

She’s right. She usually is. Even she’ll tell me that!

Where we live in La Paz about 100 miles north of the hustle and bustle that is Cabo San Lucas, our little city has grown up. Whether for better or worse, I don’t know.

But, as we stand on the shore of the beach at night before we head home from the office, there sure are a lot of twinkling lights around the bay. Not just along the shore, but headed up the hills and inland.

Not just lights from homes and businesses.

Cars. Streetlights.

Too many.

foto2

It wasn’t always like that. Even a few years ago, it wasn’t like that.

And, although I know it’s an optical illusion, growing…no multiplying before my eyes. I shake my head to clear my vision.

There’s no denying that the natural blanket of darkness is fighting a losing battle to Edison illumination.

When I first arrived in Baja..

Thirty years ago I lived on the beach.

And I thought I was living the dream.

I was hired as the divemaster, fishing guide, kayak guide and, at times, the chef, of a little boutique hotel on the East Cape.

It only had 8 total rooms. And about 500 acres of Baja shoreline and desert.

Ten miles down a dirt road from anywhere. There was nothing but Baja sun, soil, dust and the Sea of Cortez anywhere nearby.

Water came from a well in the rocky soil. Electricity from a generator.

I had a little backpacking tent out on the sand. I had found a wooden pallet and pitched my tent on my make-shift platform.

I ran 5 huge extension cords from the main house 40 yards out to my place on the beach. It was enough to power a small light and my trusty Sony Cassette player.

I had 6 cassettes that had survived an afternoon I had stupidly left on the dashboard of my van that had not melted.

Jimmy Buffett. A James Taylor. The Eagles. An Aerosmith. A Ted Nugent and a Led Zeppelin. In totality, maybe 40 or so songs that were the extent of my Baja playlist. No radio signal way out there.

In the days well before iPods or streaming devices…yes…there was a time before those existed…this was my Baja soundtrack.

No phones. No TV’s. No DVD players.

I cooked on a camp stove.

I erected one of those collapsible sun shades over more pallets. It was my “beach store” and “rental hut.”

I hung wetsuits and stacked fishing rods in it. I piled the kayaks outside. A couple of battered scratched plastic Corona Beer chairs I had scrounged completed my staging area.

I lived in my s-shirt, boardshorts and weathered straw lifeguard hat.

For my first 4 months I never wore shoes. For 6 months, I never touched cash or wrote a check. I caught, grew or bartered for whatever I needed.

It was downright glorious.

But, the nights were the most spectacular.

After the few lights at the little hotel had been doused. And the handful of clients had been put to bed, it was “showtime. “

I would pull one of the plastic chairs out onto the sand. Out into the darkness. With only the sounds of the small waves lapping at the shore, I would lean back on that chair.

And I would look up.

And it was breathtaking.

Saturn-Jupiter-and-Milky-Way-over-Otter-Point

More stars than I had ever seen in my life. Big ones. Little ones. Blinking ones.

I could see whole parts of the Milky Way and more constellations than I could ever count. Ursa…there’s the Dipper…Orion’s belt…or is that Gemini?

…and shooting stars. There’s one…then another. And another.

Blazing trails across the blackness that wasn’t quite so black. Trails that lingered for seconds before another arced across.

constellation-scorpius-5c952bf

And I would stare and stare and watch the celestials move across the night sky.

It was magnificent.

And it felt at once so large and encompassing and yet humbling and simplifying in it’s enormity. From horizon to horizon.

Often, even at my feet, in the lapping waves. . . twinkling orbs of bioluminescent plankton…the ocean’s own neon adding to the light show.

maldives-bioluminescent-plankton

I couldn’t help feeling part of it. And at the center of the vastness of the ethos. Privileged. Honored. Blessed.

And feeling a priceless gratefulness to be there at that moment in time.

Fast forward 30 years.

And now, I look at twinkling lights that dot the bay. Growing before my eyes. For better or worse, I can’t say.

But, I do know that these don’t make me feel like those nights on a lonely dark beach when I got to be part of the galaxy. I miss that.

That’s my story…

Jonathan

______________

They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront. If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is: jonathan@tailhunter.com

Or drop by the restaurant to say hi. It’s right on the La Paz waterfront!

_____________

Jonathan Roldan’s

Tailhunter International

Website:

www.tailhunter-international.com

Mexico Office: Tailhunter International, 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico

U.S. Mailing Address: Tailhunter International, 8030 La Mesa Blvd. #178, La Mesa CA 91942

Phones:

from USA : 626-638-3383

from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863

Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report: http://fishreport.jonathanroldan.com/

Tailhunter YouTube Video Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBLvdHL_p4-OAu3HfiVzW0g

“When your life finally flashes before your eyes, you will have only moments to regret all the things in life you never had the courage to try.”

Read Full Post »

IF OUR STANDARDS DON’T MEASURE UP (LOWER YOUR STANDARDS!

Posted in Airline flights to Mexico, airlines, aquaculture, bahia de los muertos, bahia de los suenos, Baja, Baja Fishing, Baja fishing lures, Baja Life, Baja Mexico Fishing, Baja Rockfish, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, camping, car, CBX Express bridge, cerralvo, cerralvo island, charity, charters, christmas, chubasco, circle hooks, Coronavirus Baja Mexico, crankbait, deep sea, Dehydration, donations, dorado, driving, east cape, ecotourism, el nino, el sargento, espirito santo, family, farm-raised, first aid, fish, fish farming, fish pens, Fishing, fishing blogs, fishing hooks, Fishing lures, fishing packages, fishing reports, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, Fishing techniques, fishing tips, fishing tournaments, fishing trips, fishing videos, flyfishing, freediving, giant squid, green, Heat stroke, highway, historical, history, holidays in mexico, humboldt squid, hurricane, hurricanes, ice chests, inshore fishing, inshore fishing in Baja Mexico, jack crevalle, Jonathan Roldan, kids, kids fishing, La Paz, La Paz Fishing, la ventana, las arenas, Leisure, light tackle, Living in Mexico, los barriles, luggage, marlin, Mexican, Mexican business, Mexican church cathedral, Mexican culture, mexican food, mexican food stands, Mexican Independence Day, mexican road crosses, Mexico, Mexico Christmas, Mexico coronavirus Baja, Mexico economy, Mexico life, Mexico neighborhood, midriff islands, missions, outfitters, pack for a purpose, packages, packing, packing fish, panga, Panga Fishing, pargo, passport, planning, pompano, rental car, rentals, road trip, roosterfish, Salt Water Fishing, Salt water lures, San Jose del Cabo, saving money, Sea of Cortez, seafood, seri indians, sierra, speaking spanish, spearfishing, sportfishing, squid fishing, storm, storms, suitcases, Sun stroke, sustainable, taco, taco stand, Tailhunter International, techniques, testing facilities mexico airport, tiburon island, tourism, tours, transpeninsular highway, Travel, trolling tips, tuna, Tuna jackpot, tuna tournament, Uncategorized, vacations, vehicle, wahoo, water, waterspouts, weather, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications, women fishing, yellowtail, tagged amberjack, bahia, Baja Mexico, beaches, billfish, bonito, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, Cerralvo Island, charter, coronavirus in Mexico, deep sea, diving, dog-tooth, dorado, east cape, eco tours, espirito santo island, family, fish, Fishing, fishing report, Fishing Techniques, fishing tips, fishing video, fly fishing, fly fishing. Spearfishing, Fubar Cocina Cantina, gray whales, grey whales, guide, holiday, igfa, inshore, jack crevalle, jill roldan, Jonathan Roldan, kids, La Paz, las arenas, light tackle, live bait, los barriles, marlin, mexican, mexico, muertos bay, offshore, outfitter, package, panga, pargo, pompano, rooster fish, sailfish, scuba, sea lions, sea of cortez, seabass, sierra, snorkeling, sportfishing, suenos bay, swimming, tailhunter restaurant, tuna, vacation, wahoo, whale sharks, whale watching, women, world records, yellowtail on January 17, 2024| Leave a Comment »

IF OUR STANDARDS DON’T MEASURE UP…LOWER YOUR STANDARDS!

Originally Published the Week of Jan. 16, 2024 in Western Outdoor Publications

In these days of social media, you can pop open pretty much any venue of your choosing. Click on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, Instagram…I can’t even remember all the others, but you get my drift.

You can find a zillion folks to back up any opinion or belief you might harbor. Good or bad.

Basically, there’s a bunch of wonderful people who think brilliantly exactly like you and a whole bunch of those “other” unlightened idiot trolls who don’t subscribe to your view of the world.

It can be anything from politics to religion. Global warming to Education, Medicine, child rearing and who deserves to be in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame.

You think aliens discovered America? There’s a million people who agree and a whole bunch of people who think you’ve been drinking the purple cool-aid.

Take your pick.

Where we live in La Paz, every now and then, I pop up the message boards on one of the media outlets like Facebook or somesuch.

It’s all run by various gringos in town and it’s good for me to see what folks in town are thinking. But, I do NOT ever post anything on these boards. I know better.

Like I said, whatever opinion I might have I’m sure there’s a whole bunch of ex-pat gringos who will happily tear me a new one especially since we’re high profile in the city and they’re all “experts.”

That’s one thing about social media.

Once a person is hiding behind the screen of their laptop, tablet or smart phone, it’s a license to take off all the filters. And they have a God-given right to express their opinion!

But, I don’t think I’ve ever seen the social media “community” in our city come together en masse against one gal who posted up her opinion of the food she found in Mexico…specifically our little city of La Paz.

For as much as the gringos might bicker back and forth on the message boards, they rose up like angry bees against this one opinionated post. It was as if this lady posted a 911 culinary attack against the whole city.

She wanted people’s opinion because she was thinking of moving to La Paz.

However…the gist of her post was a rant about local restaurants and food.

Uh-oh!

She just didn’t know if she could live or how she would bear up because the local food was not “up to her standards!”

Yeow…that’s clearly fighting words and bulletin board material!

She railed about how there were no “Michelin 5-star places” for her to eat like she was “accustomed to.”

The food she encountered was un-palatable and disgusting and a clear reflection on the restaurants, chefs and kitchen staffs.

How dare we consider Mexican seafood “real seafood” because she had eaten better seafood in Europe. And my gosh, is this really “sushi” in Mexico? She had eaten more tender and tasty sushi in Japan where they really know how to make sushi.

Eating food from street carts? Barbaric, uncivilized and unhealthy!

It went on and on.

About incorrect table service. Restaurant décor. Table manners of other diners. Ambience. Blah blah freakin’ blah.

And boy…did she ever poke the bear!

You can only imagine the entertaining online reading.

Name calling smackdown and growling of the highest caliber!

“Go back to Japan or Europe!”

“Food snob!”

“Entitled!”

“Food Karen!”

“You can put your opinion in a special place!”

“Offers to beat her with a sushi roll!”

“I got your Michelin 5 stars right here, Lady!”

“Loosen your over-tight gastronomic underwear!”

“Hold the pickles hold the lettuce special orders don’t upset us!”

“Why do you even want to live here? Go back up into your white tower!”

Some were in Spanish that I didn’t even try to translate.

It was wonderful to see my online neighbors band together for once with a salvo of indignity! Civic pride at it’s finest.

Food can be such a chest-thumping unifying force!

I have no idea what happened to the lady.

Buen provecho! Bon Apetit!

That’s my story!

Jonathan

______________

They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront. If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is: jonathan@tailhunter.com

Or drop by the restaurant to say hi. It’s right on the La Paz waterfront!

_____________

Jonathan Roldan’s

Tailhunter International

Website:

www.tailhunter-international.com

Mexico Office: Tailhunter International, 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico

U.S. Mailing Address: Tailhunter International, 8030 La Mesa Blvd. #178, La Mesa CA 91942

Phones:

from USA : 626-638-3383

from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863

Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report: http://fishreport.jonathanroldan.com/

Tailhunter YouTube Video Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBLvdHL_p4-OAu3HfiVzW0g

“When your life finally flashes before your eyes, you will have only moments to regret all the things in life you never had the courage to try.”

Read Full Post »

WELL YES! MEXICO HAS GOTTEN MORE EXPENSIVE…

Posted in Airline flights to Mexico, airlines, aquaculture, bahia de los muertos, bahia de los suenos, Baja, Baja Fishing, Baja fishing lures, Baja Life, Baja Mexico Fishing, Baja Rockfish, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, camping, car, CBX Express bridge, cerralvo, cerralvo island, charity, charters, christmas, chubasco, circle hooks, Coronavirus Baja Mexico, crankbait, deep sea, Dehydration, donations, dorado, driving, east cape, ecotourism, el nino, el sargento, espirito santo, family, farm-raised, first aid, fish, fish farming, fish pens, Fishing, fishing blogs, fishing hooks, Fishing lures, fishing packages, fishing reports, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, Fishing techniques, fishing tips, fishing tournaments, fishing trips, fishing videos, flyfishing, freediving, giant squid, green, Heat stroke, highway, historical, history, holidays in mexico, humboldt squid, hurricane, hurricanes, ice chests, inshore fishing, inshore fishing in Baja Mexico, jack crevalle, Jonathan Roldan, kids, kids fishing, La Paz, La Paz Fishing, la ventana, las arenas, Leisure, light tackle, Living in Mexico, los barriles, luggage, marlin, Mexican, Mexican business, Mexican church cathedral, Mexican culture, mexican food, mexican food stands, Mexican Independence Day, mexican road crosses, Mexico, Mexico Christmas, Mexico coronavirus Baja, Mexico economy, Mexico life, Mexico neighborhood, midriff islands, missions, outfitters, pack for a purpose, packages, packing, packing fish, panga, Panga Fishing, pargo, passport, planning, pompano, rental car, rentals, road trip, roosterfish, Salt Water Fishing, Salt water lures, San Jose del Cabo, saving money, Sea of Cortez, seafood, seri indians, sierra, speaking spanish, spearfishing, sportfishing, squid fishing, storm, storms, suitcases, Sun stroke, sustainable, taco, taco stand, Tailhunter International, techniques, testing facilities mexico airport, tiburon island, tourism, tours, transpeninsular highway, Travel, trolling tips, tuna, Tuna jackpot, tuna tournament, Uncategorized, vacations, vehicle, wahoo, water, waterspouts, weather, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications, women fishing, yellowtail, tagged amberjack, bahia, Baja Mexico, beaches, billfish, bonito, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, Cerralvo Island, charter, coronavirus in Mexico, deep sea, diving, dog-tooth, dorado, east cape, eco tours, espirito santo island, family, fish, Fishing, fishing report, Fishing Techniques, fishing tips, fishing video, fly fishing, fly fishing. Spearfishing, Fubar Cocina Cantina, gray whales, grey whales, guide, holiday, igfa, inshore, jack crevalle, jill roldan, Jonathan Roldan, kids, La Paz, las arenas, light tackle, live bait, los barriles, marlin, mexican, mexico, muertos bay, offshore, outfitter, package, panga, pargo, pompano, rooster fish, sailfish, scuba, sea lions, sea of cortez, seabass, sierra, snorkeling, sportfishing, suenos bay, swimming, tailhunter restaurant, tuna, vacation, wahoo, whale sharks, whale watching, women, world records, yellowtail on January 8, 2024| Leave a Comment »

WELL YES! MEXICO HAS GOTTEN MORE EXPENSIVE…

Originally Published the Week of Jan. 8, 2024 in Western Outdoor Publications

Let me preface this article by saying, Mexico is STILL a bargain. It’s actually still the #1 tourism destination for Americans as well as the international travel community.

But, if you’ve checked lately, it’s definitely not your daddy’s Mexico anymore. Or even your older brother as far as prices are concerned.

Frankly, a lot of folks are sticker shocked.

But, c’mon, what prices have not gone up in this wacky post-covid world?

You would be hard pressed to name one thing that is cheaper than it was 4 years ago in 2020 or even last year in 2023. Everything has skyrocketed.

Gas? Eggs? Utilities? Payroll? Minimum Wage? Blah blah blah.

So, why is anyone shocked that Mexico lacks immunity from those same issues. Mexico has been rocked by it’s worst inflation in decades.

Everything from gas to tortillas to minimum wages has jumped in Mexico, just like in the U.S.

Bottom line, if it can be or had to be transported by vehicle, then the prices went up. And there are very few things that don’t require gasoline to either transport, manufacture or distribute.

It’s just economic logistics.

Just like in the U.S., citizens as well as businesses get hammered with increased taxes as well. When did they ever go down? Anywhere?

Public services need to be paid for. Politicians and bureaucrats gotta get their paychecks too (ouch).

Mexico is no different. It’s not insular.

But on top of that, the dollar has taken a dive compared to the peso.

Let me give you an example. Pre-covid, we had about a 20:1 peso to dollar exchange rate.

Therefore, for every dollar, it was worth 20 pesos. If a souvenir t-shirt cost 100 pesos, it was worth 5 dollars. Simple.

If a hotel room cost 2,000 pesos a night, it was worth $100 in U.S. dollars.

So, now, we’re flirting with the exchange rate at 16:1. That one dollar is now worth 16 pesos.

So, if a hotel rooms was 2000 pesos per night, it now costs $125 per night.

But, hold everything!

That hotel room is no longer $2000 pesos per night is it?

It’s now $2500 pesos per night. That means, the hotel room that was only $100 a few years ago is now about $156 dollars per night!!! More than a 50% increase!

Still a bargain compared to hotel rooms in the U.S. where hotel rooms are easily $200-500/night, but your Mexico vacation now needs a bigger budget.

And check this out, I saw an article where the average hotel room now in Cabo San Lucas is about $500 per night. That was LAST year.

For this year, some hotels have raised their rates as much as 50-100% higher! Where we live in La Paz, most hotels jumped $25-40% in their prices.

Extrapolate those same economic calculations to meals. A family of 4 could eat out for $1700 pesos including alcohol and including tip a few years ago. So, about $85.

That same restaurant now charges (MUST charge to keep up with costs) $2900 pesos or about $168 dollars!

So, your snorkel and scuba trips; fishing trips; booze cruises and taxi rides are all a lot more expensive than they were several years ago.

We won’t even talk about airline flights.

Just like that TV commercial…they may soon charge for a cup of water on your next flight!

But, here’s the kicker…

Like I said, Mexico is booming.

The airlines keep adding more flights to keep up with the demand. Airports are bursting at the seams or re-modeling as fast as they can.

Check it out and see that all the big Mexico tourist destinations cannot build more hotels and add more rooms and services fast enough.

And they’re not adding “economy hotels.”

These are big-time boutique hotels with all the bells and whistles. A $500/night room might get you a room on the first floor and only one window that looks at the side of another building!

Like I said earlier, this isn’t your daddy’s Mexico anymore. But, it’s not stopping anyone from coming to visit!

That’s my story…

Jonathan

______________

They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront. If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is: jonathan@tailhunter.com

Or drop by the restaurant to say hi. It’s right on the La Paz waterfront!

_____________

Jonathan Roldan’s

Tailhunter International

Website:

www.tailhunter-international.com

Mexico Office: Tailhunter International, 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, MexicoU.S. Mailing Address: Tailhunter International, 8030 La Mesa Blvd. #178, La Mesa CA 91942

Phones:

from USA : 626-638-3383

from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863

Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report: http://fishreport.jonathanroldan.com/

Tailhunter YouTube Video Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBLvdHL_p4-OAu3HfiVzW0g

“When your life finally flashes before your eyes, you will have only moments to regret all the things in life you never had the courage to try.”

Read Full Post »

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Jonathan has written for:

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Discover Baja Magazine
Baja Life Magazine
The Log
Fish Taco Chronicles
Sportsman's Channel Magazine

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